LP review of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Some Girls: Live in Texas ’78’

One thing The Rolling Stones’ sound tends to be on “Some Girls: Live in Texas ’78” is absolutely raw, as cut to the bone as the stage show is back to basics, probably the way rock ’n’ roll should present itself. This particular show on July 18, 1978, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, was billed as the “The London Green Shoed Cowboys,” which fooled not a soul. It sold out instantly.

The 1978 American tour for the Stones combined small venues as well as arenas and stadiums. This show captures the atmosphere of only 3,000 in attendance. Jagger’s performance is, as always, a masterful balance of pop-culture diva and student of the blues, as he sways from outrageous to smooth. But his act does seem confined by a venue that seems two sizes too small for him and the Stones.

There are no slackers here. Sure, there are moments in, most noticeably, “Tumbling Dice” that appear a bit doped up, but even these sluggish parts are still quite formidable. Some may find a disco distaste for “Miss You” on the record, but the raucous and somewhat erratic rendition on this tour was a streetwise interpretation of the original studio version.

And “Shattered” may be the best live rendition you’ve heard; it has a real punk energy of the day to it, whether intentional or not.

Of course, there’s also the soothing “Love In Vain” (Ron Wood sounds wonderful on slide guitar here), the trusted “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” the always-popular “Happy,” a hopped-up “Brown Sugar” and a show-stopping, Keif-induced “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (which sounds brilliantly crisp on vinyl, by the way). And for nice surprises, there’s the jumpstart of Chuck Berry’s “Let it Rock” and the heartfelt cover of “Sweet Little 16” toward the end of the show.

This is another classic Rolling Stones’ concert delivered in a quality release by Eagle Rock Entertainment. Now I’m just waiting until a certain 1975 Los Angeles concert is released in the same glory.